Great Central Railway News and Updates

[Flying Phil]

Glad that you enjoyed your day at the GCR Western Lancer. Thank you also for your shed tour appreciation.

 

[50039]

Hello - first time poster to this thread..

I visited in September for the diesel gala (Friday)... i managed to miss 55019 when things got switched around a bit (the upside was I got a second run on D123), so no complaints there... I thoroughly enjoyed the atmosphere of the whole railway - very friendly.

Question.. on the DPS website (and FB page) they've said that 55019 is running 6 trains on 28-December... but I can't see anything on the GCR website - or any means of booking tickets? So.. if this happening, does anyone know?

Thanks

== Doublepost prevention - post automatically merged: 4 Dec 2024 ==

To answer my own question - I can now see this on the GCR website…

 

[Flying Phil]

Some festive fun from the Boscastle team on the GCR.

 

[Jacob Porrett]

The Grand Central Railway's Class 08784 will be operating at the Telford Steam Railway on the 29th December in the "Gronk running day with added Ruston and Hornsby" if anyone is interested in riding behind it.

 

[DJ_K666]

We were there with Daventry MRC on December 7th. They really do a fantastic meal on the train. I'm going to try and get tmy roasties that crispy hehe

A few photos from the day.
As a Southern guy this pleased me greatly. IIRC its the earlier version of NSE with the upsweep at both ends. On the later variety the blue is slightly darker (?) And there's no upsweep, also blue cab window surrounds. Still, these locos are beasts even now.

The 20 had its engine running.

I bet this is great on a hot summer's day.

A couple from the footplate of the 2MT that hauled us.

I didnt manage to get the 37 that was on the back of the other 'Santa' train but i got this one of the rather lovely Peak.

 

[Jacob Porrett]

A couple of photos from the Telford Steam Railway of the "Gronk Running Winter Day with added Ruston and Hornsby".

With the Great Central Railway's Class 08784.

(29/12/24)

 

[50002Superb]

I was there today, thought it was a very good day for such a short line and the staff were very welcoming, even showing us around the shed.

 

[Jacob Porrett]

I was there today, thought it was a very good day for such a short line and the staff were very welcoming, even showing us around the shed.

Glad you had a good day.

 

[M7R]

I bet this is great on a hot summer's day.
View attachment 171603

The veranda car is brilliant! My wife and I were the first people to get married at GCR (sadly something they seem to have stopped doing now after on a few years) and we had our wedding breakfast in the veranda car. Being out there when going back north with the loco working away just a couple of feet away is very impressive!

 

[Ploughman]

Was the dress still white after the event?

 

[M7R]

Was the dress still white after the event?

Yep we had a steam powered carousel too for all our guests in the evening. Some of our photos were in the brochure too, but sadly they don’t seem to be doing the weddings any more,

We go back every year for a meal on one of the dining trains for our anniversary and will normally visit multiple times in the year too for various events

 

[WesternLancer]

Yep we had a steam powered carousel too for all our guests in the evening. Some of our photos were in the brochure too, but sadly they don’t seem to be doing the weddings any more,

We go back every year for a meal on one of the dining trains for our anniversary and will normally visit multiple times in the year too for various events

Great stuff! Great picture by the way too.

 

[Flying Phil]

We very much enjoyed my Birthday celebration on the veranda car balcony.

 

[Flying Phil]

There are three visiting GWR locomotives already at the GCR in preparation for the Winter Steam Gala (Jan 23rd-26th). There will be Boscastle Guided Shed Tours on the Sat and Sunday with the shed also open on Friday I believe. There should be a Windcutter Information/Sales stand at Rothley just by the Carriage and Wagon shed on Sat and Sunday.

 

[WesternLancer]

There are three visiting GWR locomotives already at the GCR in preparation for the Winter Steam Gala (Jan 23rd-26th). There will be Boscastle Guided Shed Tours on the Sat and Sunday with the shed also open on Friday I believe. There should be a Windcutter Information/Sales stand at Rothley just by the Carriage and Wagon shed.

Thanks. Helpful info. Couple of us aiming to go on Friday all being well. Will look out for shed visit opps.

== Doublepost prevention - post automatically merged: 23 Jan 2025 ==

Looking forward to going on Friday to this steam gala. Hope today’s first day went well and that there won’t be weather related problems on Friday.

 

[Flying Phil]

Three different freight rakes are running at this event - hauled by several different engines thanks to an intensive timetable.

 

[WesternLancer]

Three different freight rakes are running at this event - hauled by several different engines thanks to an intensive timetable.

It’s definitely an excellent event. Even more so now the suns out. I’ve already spent a decent sum in The Emporium as some excellent stock in there to peruse.

 

[Yew]

Three different freight rakes are running at this event - hauled by several different engines thanks to an intensive timetable.

I'm always a bit anxious about taking paths up for freight rakes on such a busy day, though.

 

[LowLevel]

I'm always a bit anxious about taking paths up for freight rakes on such a busy day, though.

The passenger coaches can only do so many trips and part of the reason they're so busy is because of the freight trips at this particular event.

 

[bunnahabhain]

I'm always a bit anxious about taking paths up for freight rakes on such a busy day, though.

Sectional running times allow trains to run every 10mins, a round trip to Leicester for a set is a minimum of 90mins and you can only reliably run every 45mins to Leicester unless top and tailed.

There are a lot of paths available and not enough passenger sets to fill them and even if there were the single track to Leicester is a huge bottleneck.

 

[Yew]

The passenger coaches can only do so many trips and part of the reason they're so busy is because of the freight trips at this particular event.

That's a fair point, the first time I went, I had been expecting to see some more guest coaches, perhaps something appropriate to one of the guest locos.

 

[LowLevel]

That's a fair point, the first time I went, I had been expecting to see some more guest coaches, perhaps something appropriate to one of the guest locos.

Unfortunately transport costs run into the thousands per vehicle when you have to low loader them around so it would never even cover it's costs - lacking a mainline connection means that things like having a charter set visit as part of the gala as recently seen elsewhere is a bit of a non starter.

 

[Yew]

Unfortunately transport costs run into the thousands per vehicle when you have to low loader them around so it would never even cover it's costs - lacking a mainline connection means that things like having a charter set visit as part of the gala as recently seen elsewhere is a bit of a non starter.

Indeed, it's one of the main benefits that I'm looking forward to with reunification; though I suppose that is a story for another thread!

 

[Flying Phil]

It was good to see some of our Windcutter wagons running at the Gala. We will be adding more as we get them through the "Fitness to Run" exams.

 

[WesternLancer]

Hi all. What’s the score on the GCR ref wheel chair accessible carriage eg do all rakes have one in them?

Just talking to a friend and her dad’s now in a wheelchair but I was suggesting it must be doable to have a day out there. He was a regular at GCR from earlier days before health problems so it would be good to get back down there.

Basic info appreciated!

 

[Flying Phil]

Hi WesternLancer
This is from the GCR website where there is a section on Accessability

Wheelchair access

As powered scooters are designed for the about-town environment and come in different shapes and sizes, many of them are unsuitable for train travel.

Three-wheeled scooters can generally be accepted into luggage areas of brake vans provided they fall within the following size dimensions and are a maximum length of 1000mm and width of 700mm and:
- have a maximum speed of 4mph
- do not exceed 200kg when carrying the user
- have a free-wheeling facility for use in case of power failure
- have sealed batteries.
- be able to negotiate gradients of up to 30 degrees

Wheelchairs can be carried, in the designated spaces, on most of our trains so long as they fit within the following dimensions:

• length 1200mm
• width 700mm
• weight (including passenger) 200kg

 

[WesternLancer]

Hi WesternLancer
This is from the GCR website where there is a section on Accessability

Wheelchair access

As powered scooters are designed for the about-town environment and come in different shapes and sizes, many of them are unsuitable for train travel.

Three-wheeled scooters can generally be accepted into luggage areas of brake vans provided they fall within the following size dimensions and are a maximum length of 1000mm and width of 700mm and:
- have a maximum speed of 4mph
- do not exceed 200kg when carrying the user
- have a free-wheeling facility for use in case of power failure
- have sealed batteries.
- be able to negotiate gradients of up to 30 degrees

Wheelchairs can be carried, in the designated spaces, on most of our trains so long as they fit within the following dimensions:

• length 1200mm
• width 700mm
• weight (including passenger) 200kg

Many thanks. That’s good to know

 

[Flying Phil]

Next Weekend will be the Spring Steam Weekend (March 1/2nd) with a busy timetable and freight trains running. There will be the Boscastle Guided shed tours of the Loughborough engine shed on both days - 10.30am to 3.30pm, with regular 30 min tours every 10 mins. Just walk up to the shed.
They are free, but a donation towards the overhaul of Boscastle is appreciated.

 

[Flying Phil]

The GCR are now offering a "Goods Experience" and it certainly is a different way of seeing the GCR - a brake van ride is part of the package.

 

[merry]

The GCR are now offering a "Goods Experience" and it certainly is a different way of seeing the GCR - a brake van ride is part of the package.

Looked to have a good takeup on Sunday. The train looked & sounded excellent from my vantage point (particularly liked the conflat with container chained down). Excellent to have another good reason to run regular freight, and keep that part of railway heritage alive.